Lucknow, Kanpur plan a Metro

Setting up of a multi-level parking and a metro rail in Uttar Pradesh's capital might still be a distant dream, but that has not deterred the state government from coming up with yet another ambitious proposal — setting up of a State Capital Region (SCR) comprising twin cities of Lucknow and Kanpur and linking them through metro rail. Incorporation of other cities around the state capital is yet to be decided. Informed sources in the housing department said that a consultant has been appointed for chalking out a broad outline to develop the two cities holistically. The consultant —Darashaw and Co —would study the feasibility of the proposal and come up with guidelines before the state government. Interestingly, no time-frame has been set for the consultant. The latest move comes barely months after the state government quashed the appointment of a consultant —Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (IDCL), the infrastructure arm of the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) — appointed around eight months back.The fresh project would be executed by the development authorities of the two cities —Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) — on the basis of public private partnership (PPP) basis. LDA vice-chairman Mukesh Meshram confirmed the proposal and appointment of the consultant at a high-level meeting of the housing department held recently. Meshram said that initially the consultant has been asked to conduct a feasibility study for setting up a metro rail network taking into account two cities jointly. The consultant has been asked to take the help of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), besides taking into account the feasibility study earlier done by the RITES. “The urgency of a region called state capital region (SCR) has been felt for long. We would start with the transportation,” he said. The ambitious proposal comprises running metro rail from Lucknow to Kanpur. The rail would start from Amausi and have halts at Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA), Unnao and terminate at UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) in Kanpur. “There is a lot of congestion on the Lucknow-Kanpur highway. A metro rail would tend to ease that,” said Meshram. Simultaneously, the consultant would also take up studies for various developmental projects in the two cities. In Lucknow, the consultant would study the feasibility study for setting up a multi-level parking in Hazratganj, Aminabad, Mahanagar and Kaiserbagh. The consultant has also been asked to come up with a study vis-a-vis multi-speciality hospital on Sultanpur Road, a 10 kms long expressway from Rajajipuram to Kalidas Marg, and an educational zone near Indian Institute of Management , Lucknow on the Sitapur-Hardoi road bypass.